Award-Winning Marketer Michael A. Linton Named Enterprise Chief Marketing Officer for Farmers Insurance

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Oct 10, 2011, 01:58 ET

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael A Linton, who has built, marketed and managed several leading consumer brands during an award-winning, 30-year career, has been named Enterprise Chief Marketing Officer for Farmers Insurance.

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"Farmers Insurance is extremely excited to add someone of Mike Linton's caliber, talent, creativity, professionalism and range of marketing and brand experience to our executive management team," said Farmers Insurance CEO Bob Woudstra.

Linton will join Farmers Insurance, the 3rd largest personal lines insurance group in the U.S. He will replace C. Paul Patsis, who is retiring at the end of 2011. Linton will report to Jeff Dailey, who currently is Farmers' President and Chief Operating Officer and who will become Farmers CEO effective January 1, 2012.

In recent years, Farmers Insurance has emerged in its own right as a leading U.S. brand by significantly increasing its traditional and social media advertising volume; by establishing a stronger national identity and market presence by growing its business in the eastern U.S.; and by investing in high-profile corporate sponsorships, including professional golf and tennis, NASCAR and the naming rights of a proposed professional football stadium in downtown Los Angeles - Farmers Field.

"Mike Linton is the right person in the right place at the right time to passionately lead enterprise marketing at Farmers Insurance, building upon the strong platform we've established for our brands," Jeff Dailey said.

Linton, who most recently worked as Executive Vice President of Marketing for Silicon Valley start-up, FreeMonee Network, has spent 30 years in marketing and general management for such high-profile companies as eBay, Best Buy, Progressive Insurance, and Procter & Gamble. While at eBay, Linton launched a couponing capability and loyalty program. As the Chief Marketing Officer of Best Buy, he delivered a number of innovations, including the Reward Zone Loyalty Program; Rolling Stones Four Flicks DVD; and the marketing program to nationally expand "Geek Squad." Linton also has significant sponsorship experience including NASCAR and numerous music events, including a New York City Central Park concert featuring "Sting."

Before joining FreeMonee, Linton consulted for a number of companies and wrote a column for Forbes.com called "CMO Calculus." Over the years, Linton has received several marketing accolades and honors from such publications as Promotion Magazine and Ad Age. He is also the recipient of 2 Effies and is a member of the Retail Advertising Hall of Fame.

Linton has a master's degree in business administration from Duke University and received his bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University.

Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is the country's 3rd largest insurer of both personal lines passenger automobile and homeowners insurance, and also provides a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with more than 20 million individual policies across all 50 states through the efforts of over 50,000 exclusive and independent agents and nearly 24,000 employees.

Farmers is a trade name and may refer to Farmers Group, Inc. or the Farmers Exchanges, as the case may be. Farmers Group, Inc., a management and holding company, along with its subsidiaries, is wholly owned by the Zurich Financial Services Group. The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange), including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information about Farmers, visit its Web site at www.farmers.com or at www.Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.

Contact: Mark Toohey
805-907-2216
[email protected]

SOURCE Farmers Insurance